U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,380 discloses an apparatus for handling and separating healds having open end loops. In this apparatus the heald carrier rails are fastened laterally to supporting arms, the connection between the carrier rails and supporting arms being made in the region of the open part of the end loops, so that the displacement of the healds on the carrier rails is not impeded by the supporting arms. This apparatus is not suitable for the handling of healds having closed end loops, however, since the supporting arms could not pass through the end loops.
An apparatus suitable for working-off healds having closed end loops is known from the drawing-in system referred to as USTER EMU (USTER being a registered trademark of Zellweger Uster AG). In this apparatus, the carrier rails form the transverse legs of a C-shaped magazine strap which is fastened by means of its vertical leg in the drawing-in machine in such a way that the free ends of the carrier rails project towards the separating station. Since, here, the carrier rails are clamped on one side only, the working-off of the healds having closed end loops can be carried out without difficulty.
Since the carrier rails, when clamped on one side, can have only a very restricted length of at most approximately 30 cm for reasons of stability, this known solution is not suitable for an automatic drawing-in machine. This is because, on the one hand, an empty magazine strap has to be exchanged for a full one at relatively short intervals and, on the other hand, every change of this kind signifies a stopping of the drawing-in machine.